How it all started – the founding story behind blank e.G.

Like probably everything new, our story begins with a blank page of paper. Let’s have Stefan tell the origin story behind blank e.G.:

It’s April 2020, I’ll soon turn 40, I’ve been in the advertising industry for 15 years, a photo editor for 14 years, a type one diabetic for 4 years, rheumatism was
added 4 months ago and somehow I’m really fed up with ‘On and on’.
We have 2020 and the first Corona lockdown, rien ne va plus – but that is also a chance to start over.
So I sat down, took a blank sheet of paper, a pen and tried to seize this chance.
New beginning!

What do I actually want?
I want to think further, further than in ‘freelancer’ or ‘Ltd.’ categories. Further than ‘likes to work in a team’, but neither ‘in the mood to be employed’ nor ‘in the mood to be a boss’.
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There has to be something that goes beyond that. Something with added value, purpose and community…?

Cooperative

So after filling the first page of paper with tangled columns of keywords, line charts,
double underlines and wild strikethroughs, I wrote the essence of it all on the second,
blank sheet of paper at the top, in capital letters: COOPERATIVE.

I am starting a CGI & Post cooperative. The blank e.G. -> The first, and so far, the only one.

The principle of a cooperative is as follows:

‘Persons or enterprises in a comparable situation and having similar interests join for specific purposes in order to
strengthen their competitive position in the market. The cooperative members maintain
their legal and economic independence.’

But that is by no means all, because what really makes a cooperative run,
is determined by the articles of association.
And the articles of association are determined by the members themselves.
Each member has an equal vote. There are no flatter hierarchies than this.

You can find more information on Wikipedia and the website of the german cooperative association. There you will find facts, facts and facts.